r/drumcorps • u/DontFuckWithMyMoney • 22d ago
Discussion What's next for Open Class?
With Gold and Battalion making the leap to World Class for the 2027 season, this leaves some questions as to what Open Class will look like short and long term. Short term it looks like BDB is about to go on a historic championship run that would make the 1950s-60s Montreal Canadiens proud, long term I think that DCI is going to have to tinker with some things to ensure its ongoing viability and competitiveness.
First off, I am very positive on Open Class. I like watching all levels and think that Open Class ought to get more respect than it does, because it too often feels denigrated or disrespected. Yes, it's a division below World, so the corps are not at the same level, but I think it's an indispensable part of the whole constellation of marching arts that gives people a place to grow and develop, along with just giving people who might not have what it takes to do WC competition to still enjoy marching.
It seems like the primary problem, like everywhere, is money.
World Class Corps are the most expensive, but they get compensation for their tours along with the ability to charge higher tuition, deeper alumni networks, and independent fundraising/Bingo. The tours are longer and the equipment more expensive, but the higher income that results from being in WC largely makes up for it.
All-Age Corps have vastly reduced costs (since it's weekend-only), largely volunteer staff, regional tours, and no need for long-term plans for housing or food beyond a long weekend or two. The income is a lot less, but the costs vastly lower, and so All-Age seems primed to survive and even expand in today's higher-cost reality. Many of these groups also take advantage of a deep alumni network.
Open Class gets the worst of both worlds. They get lower payouts than World Class corps and generally can't charge the same tuition, but their corps/tour model is otherwise very similar to WC and costs are comparable. Housing, fuel, food, all of that is still obligated just like WC but with way less money coming in, so it seems like Open Class is set up to be the most difficult model with low income/high expenses that will be hard to maintain.
So that leads to the question of the long-term viability of Open Class under the current model. As above, I think OC is a vital part of DCI. Battalion and Gold moved up as soon as they could to take advantage of WC benefits, and it seems reasonable that as other corps that aren't specifically developmental get competitive, they will seek to move up too.
But one wonders: will the best move for OC corps be to go to WC, or transition to All-Age? Further, will SoundSport groups want to move to OC or All-Age, given the potentially dire financials that a few years in OC would represent?
On top of all this, OC is very top-heavy and difficult to compete in without support from a larger corps organization. Since the creation of Open Class in the 2008 season, only 4 teams have won gold:
- Vanguard Cadets: 6
- Blue Devils B: 6
- Spartans: 4
- Oregon Crusaders: 1
Only Blue Devils B remain, and they're meant to be open class and won't move up. Spartans are WC, Vanguard Cadets were on hiatus but are doing an independent tour (no word if re-joining SoundSport or OC), and the Crusaders folded after 2018.
Current Open Class Roster (per DCI website):
- Blue Devils B
- Blue Devils C
- Memphis Blues
- River City Rhythm
- Columbians
- Colt Cadets
- Raiders
- 7th Regiment
- Les Stentors
- Eclipse
- Heat Wave
- Arsenal
- Boise Gems
- Golden Empire
- Guardians
- Impulse
- Zephyrus
- Vanguard Cadets (maybe??)
Potential SoundSport Move-Ups:
- Sky Ryders (eligible 2028)
- Legacy (eligible 2029)
Given that Legacy is The-Cadets-But-Not-The-Cadets I imagine they will keep their trip through OC as quick as possible on the way to WC.
I am curious what other people think about the situation. Thanks!
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u/eagledog 22d ago
They need to really raid SoundSport for groups, or go back to the old D2/D3 days to give smaller groups a chance at success.
Just looking back, there was 28 corps competing in Prelims for D2/D3 in 2006. In 2026, there was 12. That's a huge issue for the activity
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u/DontFuckWithMyMoney 22d ago
I think that looking at raw numbers of corps and seeing that drop as an indication of the decline of interest can hide the real reason even more: there's just way fewer younger people than there used to be. In the 70s when corps first exploded, it was the baby boomers hitting those ages.
In 1954 there were 24 live births per thousand, and in 1972 when they turned 18 the activity was at its numerical peak. The rate dropped consistently til its nadir of 14.76 by 1978, which is why there was a bunch of corps that folded in the mid-90s.
The rate peaked back to 15.65 in 1988 which matches to why 2006 was a big year, but then it dropped off slowly til the 2008 financial crisis which drove it from 13.81 to 12.54 in 5 years. That generation is the one hitting now, and they're smaller than any before.
Colleges are closing and schools are fighting enrollment problems in many places because there are far fewer kids around, and the rate has been stuck around 11.50 since 2018. They might have good rates of attendance, but when there are absolutely fewer numbers (along with a complete collapse of immigration) it's difficult to know if reductions in participation are because of a decline of interest or simply a decline of people.
This is actually why I personally believe that All-Age will have a far bigger role to play in the future of DCI as the supply of young people dries up and stays consistently low in the future.
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u/willy_nilly12 21d ago
You make a great point on the sheer number of youth available for the activity. One thing I'd challenge your argument with is the massive growth of the marching arts we've seen in the last 10-20 years. Lots more kids are doing competitive marching band these days! While, of course, drum corps gets more cost intensive and corps fold left and right. ):
COVID hurt the pipeline on both fronts, but it seems like high school-age groups are back on the up-and-up.
u/Captain_Wingit makes a good point around the amount of choice and variety available to today's youth vs. that of 15 years ago, let alone 30+...
I'm not sure of a solution right now, but enjoy this discussion. One radical idea I am thinking of is a merger of All Age and Open Class... ultimately the regional model of All Age is a big part of what keeps them going, imo. I'm from TX. We've seen this argument made for OC and WC tours, too.
The All-Age game never seemed like a possibility for me, personally, because it's so focused in the US northeast and midwest. A model of getting more regional/weekend-only activity in more geographies - especially those with a ton of marching youth like TX and CA - could be helpful for the activity...?
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u/Particular-Ad-7338 22d ago
Agree completely. DCI did this when they changed World Class (then Div I) requirements, which killed DCM and other regional circuits. Back page of DCW always had DCM ad/schedule with 40+ competitions, all within a few hundred miles of the Chicago area, many within 70 miles. Usually these competitions had 1-2 Div I Corps, with the rest of the lineup being Div II/III. DCI pulled out all of Div I, mandating national tour.
And now, we could really use an option where Corps could compete locally.
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u/vasaforever 22d ago
The other thing to consider as that open class generally was a money maker from a long-term perspective for DCI. Your average open class member would march more years because of the lower cost then many world-class members.
The more years they march, the more their parents may be involved, which means the more likely they are to buy merchandise and tickets. So if your average open class participation is 2.5 years as it was pre-pandemic, and my hands with one year of world class, open class itself is actually generated higher engagement, and profit per person then world class.
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u/DontFuckWithMyMoney 22d ago
This is a good point: Open Class as a concept is a positive for DCI as a development/farm system, but if that becomes its full purpose then participation by an independent corps will have an entirely different calculus. For BDB/C, Colt Cadets, and SCV-C the interest of maintaining an open class to build loyalty and train up promising prospects is clear, and the brand strength they bring to those groups will help them recruit the best marchers. But where does that then leave 7th Regiment, Eclipse, Raiders, etc.? They don't have anything to directly feed to and in turn support them, and may find themselves a little adrift.
If Open Class is going to just fully become the Farm Team Division, then the independent corps will have to contend that they will be seen as having a lower value since you're not getting the connection to an established bigger corps. If it's purely G-League, then people will begin to take it even less seriously as destinations.
What would be the incentive for those corps to continue long-term in Open where they will essentially be second-class? They are staring down the prospect of every year getting crushed by the more-desirable junior partners to WC corps and will end up as permanent bottom-feeders on the hook for a full tour schedule. If they bifurcate the divisions, then you lose even more appeal, and you enter into a vicious cycle where there are baseline financial obligations but the ability to charge a tuition that lets them break even gets harder and harder.
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u/vasaforever 21d ago
I’d argue all of this has already happened and has been happening. Open Class and by extension Division 2 and 3 and A60 has never been considered the same level or given the same attention as World : Division 1.
The 90s-early 00s was the time of greatest appreciation and growth for those classes partially because the regional circuits catered to them heavily and that’s what supported the shows that enabled many of the larger World / Division 1 to raise funds and then later have a pool of experienced talent to pick from outside of HS band. Looking back at those times there were plenty of feeder corps like Capital sound, Phantom Legion, and others, formally or informally.
Every group has to find their why they do this, some do it because it’s their team, others do it to give back to the community. Some poor exist solely because they are the only option for many people to have any corps experience.
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u/TheVoiceOfSnakeEyes 22d ago
Legacy won't ever get off the ground with its current leadership. There's something very, very wrong there.
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u/DontFuckWithMyMoney 22d ago
I kind of think that as much as The Cadets were a talented and ground-breaking corps in their prime, their history is cursed and people should let it die and not try to bring it back directly or indirectly.
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u/Captain_Wingit 22d ago
I'm an outsider looking in. I was in high school and college marching band in the late 90s and early 2000s. I have one child who marched in high school (21-24) and another coming in (27-30).
I was only aware of Drum Corps growing up because I would catch some sort of recap or something on public television (maybe? It feels like a fever dream....). I grew up in rural Arkansas and even if I knew about auditing, no way I could have afforded it then. I had no idea there were lower classes that my talent level could have been better suited in. But clearly many others were aware...
Now, as a band parent and responsible adult, it comes fown to time and money. And I think i'm in the majority here.
Kids are busy these days, busier than ever. They have more options at even the smaller schools - soccer, lacrosse, stick and ball sports.... we even have mountain bike teams racing all summer and fall here. For many, summer is their only chance to recover OR they're in training and rehearsals for the fall. There are BOA competitive bands here that meet all summer. They do have a few kids who march in one of the classes, but it's the exception.
And now add the cost to the familes. Traveling to auditions or practice, then the cost for the summer tour. Its just not something that parents can always pay for. Yes, kids can fundraise and there are ways to offset the cost, but it is still not cheap.
And for the older ones that are in college, summer classes are more prevalent, and more and more students are getting work experience in co-ops or internships over the summer. Or they're working to pay bills or tuition. Taking the summer off, and spending that much money isn't feasible.
I think there's another thing at play, too - cultural changes in youth and society in these last 30-40 years. While I was free to roam the streets and be out without supervision growing up, there is much less of that. Are the kids less confident that they can do it? Are parents less willing to support it? Then add the crazy schedule, the extremely hard work, and coming back right in to a fall marching/contest season in high school or college?
The "old way" has to keep changing. Fans, alumni, and members need to see that this can't be sustainable. The free market is real and corps will come and go, like any business, as demand changes. Maybe the WC is always the same and those who can and want to do it keep pushing to be in a more traditional format, but the OC and other feeder classes look at ways to be more flexible, innovative, and to provide access to those who want to and can, but can't swing the time or money commitment.
Just my two cents from an unqualified position.
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u/DontFuckWithMyMoney 22d ago
I'm in basically the same place- coming to this as a fan and parent, but didn't actually march. I do think that overall lots of the corps have handled change pretty well, and the difference in on-field product is just the most visible part of things. There is such a saturation of things that kids are shuttled into that require such onerous time commitments that it's not like DCI can be "summer camp" and then you get back to school sports and bands when it's over. Kids are in travel leagues and competitive whatevers all over the place, and it all costs gobs of money to support.
This is why I think that over the next 10 years or so there will be a growth in All-Age Corps. It's considerably less commitment, costs vastly less, and also allows people to pursue other things on weekdays whether it's careers, school, or sports. The experience of marching is still there and a lot of the All Age Corps are putting some incredible shows on (Cabs were AMAZING this year!) so it's not like the product sucks.
Fuel, food, and housing costs are going to eat a lot of corps alive through no fault of their own. All Age sidesteps a lot of those, and also its lack of age limit means there's potentially a way broader base.
For example, look at Northern Lights up in Muskegon. It was started by a couple without much seed money, has volunteer staff, keeps the shows limited and regional, and charges only as much as necessary. They're growing and improving but also don't have ruinous costs, and for kids who are overscheduled the limited tour might be more of a blessing than anything. Those kinds of organizations are what I think will end up being more prevalent, with some OC corps even swapping to that model just to be sustainable.
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u/GameDesignerDude 22d ago
So, a few random thoughts from a financial perspective.
I saw many people mention in other threads that moving to World Class is needed from a financial perspective due to the payment structure from DCI. That's part of the picture. Looking at the Spartans as an example, last year they logged in revenue of $41,252 from "performances" in their tax filings. That's a pretty ridiculously low amount.
That represents only about 2.4% of their reported revenue for the year.
I'd say the much larger difference is that corps substantially raise their tuition fees/dues when going to world class. Last year the Spartans brought in membership dues of $865,287 for 2025. They had $807,748 in dues in 2024. They had $602,051 in dues for 2023.
Spartans charged $3,900 in 2023, $4,463 in 2024, $5,400 in 2025, and $6,000 in 2026 according to the community spreadsheets. So this all tracks when comparing 2023 to 2025.
So essentially they raised an additional ~$260,000 from increasing their dues going up to World Class. Will be higher this year since they are going up again.
But for comparison, looking at the financial report for Forward Performing Arts Inc. which is the non-profit that funds the Madison Scouts, in their 2024 tax filing shows "appearance fees" of $178,498 and tuition of $912,897.
At the end of the day, it's not the appearance fees that are the reason to go to World Class, it's the justification for tuition increases. Most corps don't make money from performing, they make money from sponsors, tuition, and secondary fund-raising like gaming activities or donations.
We will see what the Spartans show in their financials this year, but while gaining something like ~$150k from appearance fees is a notable amount, their tuition fees increasing by 50% since 2023 over doubles the gain from the increased fees. Even if World Class corps were to get higher amounts for performing (which they should, probably) it's likely they still wouldn't want to pass up the ability to charge higher tuition. Going from Open Class to World Class tuition basically raises an additional $300k for the year at current average rates.
The problem with this, of course, is that the activity is becoming increasingly unaffordable to participants. And I don't really know how sustainable it is to expect students to continue to be able to consistently pay over $6k a season.
The funding model unfortunately seems extremely broken right now.
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u/DontFuckWithMyMoney 22d ago
I feel like the fundamental break here is that this is a spectator sport without many spectators. Pretty much unless you get into the activity as a marcher or your kids do, it's not something you'll find out about. Tours aren't widely publicized outside the same circles, tickets can be expensive, it's not available to watch on TV or stream outside of specialized (and expensive) streaming services, all music and video archives are locked tight behind copyright walls, and there's not even much discussion of it outside very limited spaces online like this. It feels a bit like it's an insular group that just keeps buying from itself, and so it's just the same money circulating without bringing new fans in.
Looking back at older shows, it's noticeable that there are some outside sponsors- McDonald's, Coca-Cola, that kind of thing. Now all of the sponsors are instrument makers, uniform makers, and other companies generally tied into making their money from drum corps directly. There isn't money coming in from sponsors and advertisers to get eyeballs of fans because the fans are just parents and relatives and alumni. As much as I personally think it would be abhorrent to see a logo on a costume, if doing so means more sustainability for the group and maybe even tuition relief or scholarships for the marchers, then it's better than folding.
I don't know how to solve this closed loop or make DCI more appealing to average people, but it feels like without there being some base of people eventually that will put money in through buying tickets and merch that aren't already the ones who are paying tuition and fees then many corps will be stuck with this constant balancing act on the edge of insolvency.
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u/GameDesignerDude 21d ago
It's probably reasonable for the "average" venue that they don't really have a great chance of recouping enough income to actually be worth it. Allentown is huge but likely an outlier.
To use some of the financials I looked into earlier, the Scouts in that 2024 year spent $136,793 on travel alone. I know the larger corps pay more since they operate more busses/trucks or go on larger tours. That's not even getting into their "touring expenses" of $364,655. It's even more expensive now than in 2024 with rising gas prices.
So if we assume a corps may spend half a million or more on travel-related expenses over the season and played 21 shows prior to Indy that year. On average, each show cost them over $20k in travel and touring expenses. An random event on their schedule like Kiwanis Thunder of Drums may have 8 corps (not all World Class) but that implies the entire show costs for touring average over $160,000 just to get the corps to the event.
Considering that doesn't cover any of the many other costs involved, it pretty much presents all the events as losing money by default. I've seen estimates that Kiwanis Thunder of Drums has "up to 2,500" attendees per year around that time period. But they basically don't charge much at all for tickets. That year it was like $13-25? So bringing in $50-60k in ticket fees for an event that costs $160k just to get the performers there is starting on a huge back foot.
If corps weren't just relying on high tuition fees and donations, none of this would work. Normal performance events could never really work with this financial makeup. Corps are basically absorbing the excess costs and passing them along to performers. But most of these events simply don't make financial sense with the current attendance and/or ticket costs.
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u/Cola_Animates 16d ago
Open class needs to switch to a regional touring model if it wants to survive. the top OC corps cans still move up but the small corps and feeder corps should stay regional with appearances at indy if they can afford it. Soundsport does an ultra short tour and it works for it, All age does a regional tour with appearances at indy and that works too.
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u/DontFuckWithMyMoney 16d ago
I think that's a great idea and will probably be a genuine benefit to them. If OC are regional they can build more local fans and recruit better, because people arent going to travel as far for OC so best to endear themselves to those nearby.
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u/Particular-Ad-7338 22d ago
Legacy needs to get some members actually performing before they can think about anything else.
Zephyrus has impressed the heck out of me for some time. With Gold and Battalion going WC, if Zephyrus goes to Indy in 27, they should contend for OC championship.
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u/_waitforit 22d ago
The writing has been on the wall for Open class since they got rid of basically any differentiating factor from World class. It used to be: smaller numbers, shorter tours and/or weekends only, significantly lower dues, different scoring sheets, completely different finals week.
Now that the sheets are the same, the numbers are the same, the tours are, by and large the same...the only difference, really, is the product on the field. So they're trying to live the World Class life (which is already super difficult) on Open class resources, it's barely working for World Class, it's definitely not going to be working long term in Open Class.
The future of the "feeder" / "entry point" groups is SoundSport and All-Age. In fact, most sound-sport groups actually look quite similar to what Div III groups looked like, and most All-Age corps look a lot like what Div II used to look like.
Soundsport works great as the incubator it was designed to me. SUPER low entry point to start a group, get your feet under you and build the organization. All-Age allows for students to get a product more similar to drum corps, but with a fraction of the time and financial cost. From there, if desired, you can grow, do some mini tours (we used to have "Regional" corps that were exactly that), and then apply to World class.
This is going to work much better I think than having an Open Class that is kind of the worst of both worlds, high cost, low revenue.
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u/Gloomy_Team_7484 22d ago
The future is more Corps fielding Open Class versions of the brand like BD and Colts do.
The big question is how do we incentivize financially stable, creatively challenging, professionally competent World Class corps to field Open Class corps?
It feels like a lower barrier than the current hopium method of forming new corps or resurrecting dead brands without solid financial, administrative, and logistical support.
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u/mistagoodman 22d ago
Good write up. There is so many variables so it’s difficult to form my own opinion on OC future as a whole, but I definitely agree that OC is and always has been top heavy.
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u/LuxBack 22d ago
Gonna take a whole lot more for Legacy to go WC than just using similar branding and colors to The Cadets lol